Hammer alert, Odd prespawn staging areas, Blimp mules of the week

Today’s Top 5

Blimpaliciousness water mules o’ the week!

Mike Long. Mike DDang Long! He did it again, probly like the 2,351st DD he’s caught. This time a 16.1…in 43.9-degree water (!!) at “one of our [CA] mountain lakes at 4,600′ elevation:”

Tiddybits: 15-lb Seaguar Tatsu, signature Airrus Beast rod — no bait named but possibly this new, unnamed glide bait? Also said, “I like 2-3 days before and after a full moon and new moon.”

John LaBove smashed this 15.48-lb blimp outta Lake Fork, TX, believe it was put in the TX ShareLunker breeding program. Sounds like someone said it was caught on a jig (black/blue) with a Baby Brush Hog in 4′:

Hammer alert: Phil Marks wins AGAIN on Rayburn.

Tip for all you Rayburn fishermen: If Phil Marks is signed up to fish, hand him your entry $$ and just go fun-fishin’. Seriously, WTHeck.

Phil — who designs baits for Strike King and last year changed his middle name to “XtraDeadly” — won what I believe is his 3rd or 4th Rayburn tourney already this year at least weekend’s BFL. And won by 5 lbs. Crazy.

But he got WAY outside his comfort zone, by not crankin’ something with XD in the name:

> “They were spawning in the bushes mid-lake and I caught them using a blue-colored Hack Attack Jig with a blue Rage Craw trailer. Some fish I could see and some I couldn’t, but they were definitely on beds.”

Phil even looked like he was still in a little bit of a daze from not crankin’:

Seminole Costa baits breakdown.

GA’s Matt Baty won it with 45 lbs — kind of a combo winter and shad-spawn pattern thisaway: “targeted prespawn staging fish on a creek channel turn with grass growing about 2′ off the bottom along the adjacent flat.”

If bass fishing had a combine.

NFL combine stuff is kinda weird. Seems like how these guys do in actual games would matter a whole lot more than measurements and drills…but I guess NFL execs get little man-crushes on giant dudes running around in their skivvies…. #weird (Check what current Giants corner Elite Apple was asked in one of his interviews.)

ANYHOW…If we had NFL measurements in bassin’:

> Weigh-ins — Not of fish but of bass-heads. What’s the ideal weight for a pro bass-head — less than 200 lbs? Up to 225? If you’re too light does that mean you’re at risk of bouncing outta your seat in rough water? If you’re too heavy, does that mean you won’t be able to run up to the bow fast enough?

> Height — Can you be too tall in bassin’? Doubt it. David Kilgore is like 6′ 8″ and he’s qualified for multiple Classics so…. Can you be too short to use a 7’+ flip-stick? Nope.

> Flip splash — Bigger the splash, smaller the chances of success in the big leagues.

> Casting accuracy — You mess up the spot or get snagged or hit a boat or dock, no good.

> ‘Lectronics Wonderlic — If’n ya can’t answer super-detailed questions about your units, you ain’t gonna make it. Keep sayin’ it: the Elites are nerds — they know EVERYTHING there is to know about their equipment.

> Map study — Don’t think for a sec all you do is run to GPS points in the Elites. You study maps, you study water levels, you study shad migrations, you study cloud movements, heron body language, you name it — but you must know how to break down a physical map fast and thoroughly.

Okay bottom line: There’s NO WAY any physical measurements can predict success in bassin’, or in my opinion any other sport. You get there because of natural ability (yep, some fishermen are just better), work ethic and — here’s the big one — what’s between the ears. Case in point:

Here’s what green pumpkin mimics.

I know you know but this shot makes it ultra clear:

That craw is under-lit — interesting how much light gets through that shell. [chin-scratch emoji]

> …you need to be stealthy…. From the very first day I got into my kayak…I’ve caught multiple bass that literally bit at the rod tip…. That happens occasionally in a bass boat, but not nearly as often…has taught me that I need to make a greater effort to keep a low profile, shut off all of the sounds, and stay off of the trolling motor as much as possible….

> …how important it is to dissect what you have in front of you. When you’re in a bass boat, if you don’t feel your current spot is “on,” you can pick up and run 20 miles until you see something better.

Most folks don’t like fishin’ around divin’ birds but winner Bart Blackburn said:

> “I look for loons diving for food this time of year, and the area had one loon that was really active. I culled 3 fish, and picked up another good keeper from similar structure to finish out my day.”

> “I spend a lot of time on the water using my outboard to get me from spot to spot, covering dozens of miles a day sometimes. Being that I have an older boat with a 1995 115hp Mercury, this amount of wear and tear eventually catches up.

> “I’ve been using Sea Foam as a fuel additive for 2 seasons now, and it has made a significant impact on how smooth my motor idles, powers up and powers down. It runs cleaner and faster with less issues overall. This in turn allows me to spend more time catching fish!”

Tip of the Day

> Something else I think is often misunderstood about the early prespawn is the idea that the females stage on breaks, things like channel swings and underwater crevices — quick changes in depth. They do stage on those areas but only because they’re there.

> They’re just as likely to stage on a stump, a rock, old fencing, a tire or anything else that happens to be around. A staging spot is about something different. It’s not about natural structure.

> Another thing about holding areas is that they aren’t always between deep water and the places where the bass will make their beds. Sometimes they stage shallower than they spawn. This is especially common during an unusually warm spell that lasts for several days. A weather pattern like that drives the baitfish shallow and, of course, the bass follow. When it’s time to actually spawn they turn around and move back out a ways.

Huh…inn-terestin’. Line that jumps out to me: “They do stage on those areas but only because they’re there.”

Shot of the Day

Random

Was gonna out the new cherry cola Oreos Aaron Martins told me about, but gonna give it up to Drake for his God’s Plan vid. What if we all spent our time and money helpin’ folks. Awesome to be in the bassin’ world where that’s the norm — bless you guys.

Ya got me

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of the best, worst and funniest in bassin’, as curated by me — Jay Kumar. I started BassFan.com, co-hosted Loudmouth Bass with Zona, was a B.A.S.S. senior writer and a bunch more in bassin’. The Blaster is the #2 daily read on any given day in the wide world o’ bass so thanks for readin’!

The best, worst and funniest in bassin'! Jay Kumar is the guy who created BassFan.com, co-hosted Loudmouth Bass with Zona, was a B.A.S.S. senior writer and a whole lot more in bassin™. Make sure you sign up for the BassBlaster email!